And we use the word "animal"...

[airiefairie]

Why do we use the word "animal" for a person who is cruel beyond any limits known in the animal world? It is an insult to the animals, and a very poor use of language.

Lions, rhino massacred in suburbia - The Times

What kind of monster could have done this??? If he was my neighbour I would single handedly wring his neck!!! :@

Apparently, this was a part of a bigger animal smuggling network. But I am still shocked that he massacred those animals. And keeping them in the city!?!?

Man arrested after allegedly slaughtering 13 lions - and some rhinos - in his downstairs living room - Daily Mail

In China, they have a law that whoever kills a giant panda, gets a death sentence. Such a criminal goes to the electrical chair. I would not be so merciful. I would instead give this man the illusory chance to escape. I would put him in a cage together with a pride of lionesses and if he survives he is free. Good luck, mister monster! You are fortunate that police chief Selebi and minister Msimang were your neighbours INSTEAD OF ME!!!

Comments

[koneko-desu.livejournal.com]

I don't think China uses the electrical chair anymore. They upgraded it to a bullet through the head, and I think recently they're trying to upgrade that to injection since it's more "humane".

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

I expected you to correct me about China at some point...
I wanted to make it sound dramatic =)
I am sure that you are getting my main point.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's an old-fashioned term from less enlightened days when people believed that animals acted solely on bestial instinct whereas 'man' (usually gender-exclusive) has the ability to reason.

In the inverse of that should have been that humans are capable of being irrational as opposed to just a-rational, and your news articles are examples of this.

Personally most animals I have encountered are friendly, playful and display a range of positive emotions. But then again, they get to live with me and I'm a big softie with my fur babies..

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

With the increase of size, the relations with the animals tend to become rougher...especially if they like to eat meat... If Mr Nguyen is put in a cage with a pride of lionesses he would probably be killed. The difference is that lions do not go into the humans' habitats to capture men (gender-regardless) just to slaughter them after that...

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

WHAT? They dared to touch the LIONS!?

[il-mio-gufo.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you on every point made. And...might I add, what a BIG HEART you have!! :D

If only the world had more people as sensible as this. The electrical chair is the cowards way out for SURE!

[prog-expat.livejournal.com]

Why do we use the word "animal" for a person who is cruel beyond any limits known in the animal world? This one's easy: the old human superiority complex.

We need a new word to replace "animal" for this usage, or maybe we could just resurrect the Old English þyrs for the job. I like the idea of comparing bastards like these to Grendel.

[szeretni.livejournal.com]

Hi! I just wanted to say that I'm adding your LJ to my reading list. I already have your husband on there, who I met through some political discussion community...can't remember which one. ;)

I think we have a lot in common, I'm especially interested in celtic languages and music, culture, mythology etc. :)

And I'm from Sweden... I think Kol said that you had studied in Uppsala or Stockholm? :)
I studied celtic languages in Uppsala but I don't remember much today, unfortunately. :(

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

Thanks for adding me! Indeed it seems we have lots of common interests. But please do not miss to really add me! ;)

I think it was his sister who studied in Uppsala and lives in Stockholm.

He is a member of only one political community so it is easy to guess where you met hehehe ;))

OK, cannot wait to share more things in LJ!

[szeretni.livejournal.com]

Oh, you got the comment?! :D
The page went all awol when I had clicked on Post, so I was mad for an hour after that and thought "well, I'll wait until tomorrow and write to her then instead". But YAY, it worked. :)

Oh, OK, so his sister lives in Stockholm - thanks! :)

[airiefairie.livejournal.com]

I have set the option so that the comments from non-friends appear screened here. I have to un-screen them manually to make them visible. But now I have added you and your comments will instantly appear without need of approval =)

[eu4hell.livejournal.com]

The appropriate label of someone as "you animal!" means that the person acts rather on primitive instincts than with calculation and brain.

It's perfectly alright to use the term, and does not represent an insult to animals at large. If someone acts with especially brutal fury and rage, the term "beastly" is also appropriate.

Regards from cape_town